So it's the birthday of CASSANDRA CAIN a.k.a. Best Batgirl Ever, so as one of her earliest editorial uncles who shepherded Cassie's birth, here are some never-revealed secrets about our favorite girl.

Cassie's first name was suggested to Denny O'Neil by a wonderful, brilliant woman named Bonnie To, who was an intern at either DC in general or the Batman Editorial Group for a brief time. We had the last name of Cain, of course, but not the first name.

I wanted to edit a short for BATMAN CHRONICLES with Cassie in her early days and THE SHADE from James Robinson's STARMAN. It would have been a DAYS PAST sroty of Shade meeting before BATMAN: NO MAN'S LAND. I missed the opportunity to connect with Robinson to get his blessing. :(

Back in 2015, longtime friend and killer writer @bryanedwardhill interviewed me for @comicsbeat and we rapped a little about Cassie, whom we both love, as you know from his STELLAR work on BATMAN AND THE OUTSIDERS. But that's no secret, so here's 1 more. https://www.comicsbeat.com/interview-bryan-hill-in-conversation-with-former-batman-editor-joseph-illidge/

Cassie was not expected by DC's upper management to be the breakout hero of NO MAN'S LAND, but she was. She lived to fight many more days because of all of you, and your love, and the editors and creators who continue to take care of her. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GIRL! We love you to bits

P.S. SHADOW OF THE BATGIRL by @sarahkuhn and @NicoleGoux is, in my humble opinion, the definitive Cassie origin of the 21st century. It has real insight and heart, and I learned things about our girl that I didn't realize before reading the book. Go get it.